Making pancakes with Colton

This morning Colton learned how to make pancakes. I had a few tears realizing that I have taught each of my kids how to make pancakes and am fairly certain this was one, if not the very first, thing they learned to make by themselves and even understanding the measurements.  I was proud of him too!  He had the option to stop and eat his own pancakes but he persevered and completed the task perfectly.  Every pancake was golden and delicious!!

Thanks bubba for making us breakfast :)

Driver's Permit

Cameron got his DRIVERS PERMIT TODAY!

While I'm excited for him, I'm terrified to be in the passenger seat with him behind the wheel.  And I don't feel old enough to have a child driving, but yet somehow I am.  It's very unnerving.

Camping Trip 2013

I haven't been camping in over 12 years.  The last time I was forced to camp, I was 6 months pregnant with Courtnie, slept in a tent on a lass than satisfactory air mattress.  And it rained.  It definitely did not leave me with good memories or with any desire to camp again!

However, both Mom and Dad planned a camping trip with EVERYONE on board.  I had no other option than to brave the trip and embrace being out of my comfort zone as best as I could, which meant I had to drop my negative thoughts and especially my less-than-enthusiastic attitude.  I asked Dad if he got us a cabin and he said we had a "shelter".  This is our so-called "shelter" and he wasn't kidding!  The walls aren't even solid, concrete floors, and nothing but a metal picnic table.  I knew we were roughing it then.

Then he hung this beautiful sign just for me, which reminded me to embrace the wildlife... and the fact that I wasn't in a four star resort with all the pleasures of comfort.  He knows me well....

Colton is about the only child now who will let me take his picture without protests or extra time spent primping for my "candid" shot.

Here are Courtnie and Jason attempting to rub sticks together to start our campfire.  While they spent a good hour or so on this task, the rest of us gave up on them and started a fire in the pit.  I must say, their persistence was quite impressive!

The Camp Master himself :)


Pictures of our nature hike.  We called Colton our Trail Master; he led the way for every hike and was very pleased with himself.  He made his poor momma hike down ravines and back up by way of slippery dirt.  We took random detours that included beautiful sights as well as off-the-trail hiking in thorny bushes.
















Family time.  Our Camp Master fed us extremely well this weekend.

And we spent many hours just hanging out and talking.

Campfire and games by night included s'mores, Would You Rather?, Charades, Bucket List, telling scary stories, and hour long game of Rock, Paper, Scissors that we never completed.










The Camp Master also took pictures of the kids sleeping, at least the ones visible from their mound of covers anyway.








The family did a little fishing.  This momma took a nap so these photos are courtesy of Aunt B.

And here are some panoramic views courtesy of our Camp Master.  The first photo is our first sitdown by the campfire and the second is our family's Sunday morning worship time.

And on our way home we decided to make a stop and complete one of Courtnie's bucket list items: to be in two places at one time!  She and Dad were both in Texas and Oklahoma at the very same time together :)

Family Bucket Lists

While sitting around the campfire this past weekend, we began discussing items on our bucket lists.  It was really neat to hear what everyone dreams to do and has big plans for.  I want to remember this time spent with family and help them achieve their goals.  Sometimes there is a piece of me that can't wait for time to move forward so I can see how my children achieve their dreams, but then I really don't want them to grow up at all but remain my sweet little babies forever.

Jason:

• Buy land and live in East Texas
• Go to a Denver Broncos game in Denver, CO
• Take the family to Disney World
• Visit Fenway Park in Boston

Brandie:

• Take a romantic island vacation with my husband
• Have my own garden and lots of fruit trees
• Be a foster parent
• Get in the car for a getaway vacation with no destination in mind, just drive and go
• Rock drug babies in the hospital nursery by day and walk the streets and minister to those in prostitution at night

Cameron:

• Go to Ghana on a mission trip
• Take an exotic hunting trip
• Create a brand of clothing
• Visit Chicago's  Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium in New York, and Boston's Fenway Park

Courtnie:

• Be in two places at one time
• Dance on Broadway
• Take a selfie with Taylor Swift
• Judge a dance competition
• Live with a friend when she's older

Colton:

• He thinks we're nuts and wonders why we aren't just happy to play outside and go hiking in the woods 

Random Facts About Me

• I wiggle my toes to go to sleep
• I talk to myself and reply to myself... but I'm not crazy!
• I suffer from social anxiety
• I have absolutely no desire to leave my country.... ever!
• I have a serious fear of having my hair cut
• I am a very sorry loser
• I wear my flip flops year round
• I want my own garden and chickens one day
• I love to blog and I love to read
• I still use a paper calendar/planner and look through it everyday
• I'm habitually early everywhere I go
• I can't hear out of my right ear
• I'm terrified of needles
• I sleep with the covers around my head with a tiny tunnel for cold, fresh air
• I've had a total of 7 piercings and hardly ever wear a ring in any of them anymore
• I was once VERY materialistic
• I hate to color, one little mistake and you have to redo your whole paper. Far too stressful.
• I'm a BIG crybaby, I cry all the time. All.the.time.
• I don't eat any food that once loved in water. People dump dead bodies (like Osama) in the water and I have no desire to eat digested dead people.
• It ticks me off when people stab my butter. I'd rather throw it out and buy a whole new tub. Rude!
• I freak when I see milk sitting out on the counter for any length of time. Germs!
• Don't EVER touch my pillow.
• I don't like vegetables, but I eat them.
• It actually HURTS when my feet are touched.  And afterwards, I have to rub the touch out until the pain goes away.
• I'm a germaphobe
• I love going to the dentist
• I like to sleep in and go to sleep early... and take a nap... everyday
• I am passionate about the fight against human trafficking
• I'm terrified of elevators
• I'm addicted to Medicated Blistex (Softlips is a very close second)
• I'm terrified of pain
• But gave birth naturally three times because I feared the epidural more
• My family nickname is "Nene"
• I love and appreciate all things chocolate